Sputnik Spring Break

Pentecost on the Lake

While Pentecost parties are just beginning in Berlin and Hamburg, an exceptional state has long been in effect in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld: The Sputnik Spring Break (SSB) is in full swing in the Pouch district of Bitterfeld-Wolfen. Launched in 2008 by the radio station MDR Sputnik, the festival at the former Goitzsche open-cast mine has grown into the largest Pentecost event in Eastern Germany — with its own beach club architecture, lakeside glamping, food court, and four days of open air.

The Goitzsche — From a Hole in the Ground to a Festival Mecca

What is now a 13 km² swimming lake with fine sandy beaches was once a hole in the ground in the 1990s — the lignite excavators had cleared out the Mansfeld region near Bitterfeld. The renaturation of the Goitzsche is one of Europe's largest industrial landscape comeback projects. The festival beach at Pouch Lake is now the stage for 25,000 Pentecost pilgrims.

Music: Bass on All Levels

Programmatically, the SSB covers the German pop-hip-hop-techno mainstream seamlessly. The Main Stage features top German acts (Sido, Ski Aggu, Roy Bianco, SSIO, Avaion, Zartmann, Gestört Aber Geil), the Electronic Stage delivers House and Progressive, the Fire Bar offers Drum'n'Bass and Trance, and a Club Stage hosts the after-hours. If you're interested in Drum and Bass hardliners like Macky Gee or Techno titans like Kobosil: it's all there.

Camping and Comfort

Overnight stays are in the festival camping grounds around the lake — from affordable meadow pitches to luxury beach resorts. Shuttle buses run free of charge from Bitterfeld train station. Those who want the full experience arrive on Thursday evening and leave on Monday.